Bottle crate



' oct. 5 A1926,.

W. W. BIRNSTOCK BOTTLE- CRATE FiledJan. a, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

Patented Get. 5, l926.

s wrLLIAi/r'w; BIRNsTocK, orromi7 rnNNsYLvANIn,assitance',ro YORKMunita- 'GHINERY COMPANY, Ior YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or.PENNSYL- VANIA. s v v ,BOTTLE CRATE.

1 Application filed January, ,1924. Serial No. 685,037.

The. vpresent invention relates to improve` ments in bottle cratesandjmore particularly to those of the class embodying a wooden case andlmetal cross strips whichprovide longitudinal and transversev partitionmem- 1 attaching the ends of the longitudinal partition members to theends ofthe crate, whereby suoli members of the partition will be heldlsecurely in place under a .substantial tension which `may be..imposedupon f' them, land also the longitudinal partition members areaccurately spaced relatively `-to one another, incident tothe assemblingof theV crate and are securely and permanently held insuch relation.yAnother object of the inventionA is to provide attaching means for thevends of the longitudinal :partition members which will serve asreinforcements for the `ends of the crate, they acting to'resistsplitting of the crate ends and to prevent pulling apart of the crateends-when made in twoor more pieces or when the crate ends become splitfrom any cause. l

To these and other ends, the invention con* sists in certainyimprovements and combinationsiand arrangement o-f parts all as will behereinafter more fully described,the features of novelty being pointedout particularly in the claims at the end of 'the lspecification. i

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a perspective view of a 4bottlecrate constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of theinvention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view vof the crate as'shown in Figure l; v

/Figure 3 represents a verticalv 'section through one end of the crate,showing the improved 'means for attachingthe ends ofthe longitudinalpartition members to the crate ends. f 4 i VFigure 4t is a detail view,inV section andl on an enlarged'scale, illustrating the partitionattaching member, the mode of attachment of the partition memberstheretoy and the preferred mode of securing ,the` attaching members/tothe crate end; 4

Figure 5 is a detail viewof one yofthe partition attaching members asvviewed from the leftincFiguref;

i -F-igure 6 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, showing thepreferred mode of attaching the ends of the 'transverse partitionmembers to the sides ofthe crate;

scale and in perspective, illustrating a portion of the bottomstructurevzof'the crate;

Figure 8 is a top plan and-Figure 9 is a viewin elevation of a portionof the bottom rail or shoe ofthe crate; yand Figure` 10 is a detailviewof one of 'theI wires comprising the bottom structure shown. y i

Similar .parts are designated by the same reference characters in theseveral views.

. The present invention is applicablegenerally to bottle crates adaptedto contain bot tles of ldifferent kinds, although the invention isparticularly applicable `to crates of lFigure 7 is a detail view, o-n anenlarged the kind used in the handling of milk bottles,

such crates being used Eto contain the milk bottles not only forshipment or distribution, but also` while the bottles are being washedand otherwisey handled in dairies, in consequence. of which Ithe" cratesare subjected to` rough and severe usage. The preferred embodiment ofthe `present inventionv which provides a crate of increased strength anddurability, is shownY in the accompanying drawings andwill behereinafter described in detail.y It is to be understood, however,

that the invention is not restricted to the precise construction shownas equivalent constructions are contemplated and suchwill be includedwithin thescop'erof the'claims.l 1 inthe present instance, thev cratecornprises an outerlcase embodying sides l and ends 2, these parts beingpreferably constructed of wood, as is usual, vthe. ends being providedat their inner sides with rabbets 3 in whichthe sides l arefitted sothat the sides will' act as spacers to `hold apart the ends inoppositionto any tension tending to drawthek ends toward one another.yThe sides and ends of the crate may be'secured together by nailing, asusual. y

One or more partitions are employed. for properly separating the bottlescontained in the crate, two partitions'v in superposed relation beingshown, for' example, in the vpresent instance, Each partition [compriseslongitudinal members. 4' and transversemembers 5, these members beingcomposed preferably of Istrips lofqiiat metal andthe numberyused Thesepartitionn'iembers are arranged to intersect at a right angle and theymay be interlaced as shown. rlhe spaces between the intersectingpartition members form the individual cells in which the bottles are tobe contained.

The present invention provides novel and impro-ved means for attaching`and securing the ends of the longitudinal partition members 4 to theends 2 of the crate, whereby these partition members are supported withgreater security, they are capable of sustaining` a substantial tensionimposed thereon by the crate ends 2 and, moreover, the crate ends arereinforced so that splitting thereof is resisted and pulling` apart ofthe crate ends when composed of two or more pieces or in the event thatthey should become split, is prevented. Such attaching' means comprisespreferably a plate G which may be composed of sheet metal of appropriatethicknessvor strength, the plate being stamped or otherwise formed sothat it embodies a marginal or peripheral fiange 7 which is adapted tofit flatwise against the inner side of the crate end, and an inwardlybulged portion 8, the opposite side walls 9 of which converge toward anapex 10. The apex portion 10 of the plate is formed with a slot oropening 11 to receive the end of the respective longitudinal partitionmember, the portion of-this partitionv member which entends into thechamber or cavity within the plate 6 having a perforation 12 whichextends vertically therethrough, and the upper wall of the plate 6being` provided with an opening 18 through which a pin or wire 14 may beinserted, so that this pin will enter and pass through the perforation12 in the partition member. Where only one partition is used in thecrate, the plate 6 may be constructed to receive only a single partitionmember 4, but where, as shown in the present instance, a pair ofpartitions are used, the plate G is constructed to receive the ends ofthe upper and lower longitudinal partition members. The attaching plate6 is firmly secured to the respective end 2 of the crate, it beingpre'lerable to employ rivets 15 for this purpose, is as shown, these rivetsacting to securely fasten the marginal flange 7 of the attaching plateto the inner side of the crate end. It will be understood that one ofthese attaching plates will be provided for each end of eachlongitudinal partition member or for the ends of each pair of superposedlongitudinal partition members. ln Figure 4 the end piece to which theattaching plate is secured is shown in one piece, whereas in Figure 3the end shown is in two pieces, but in both instances the partitionattaching plate will serve as a reinforcement or stay which willmaterially strengthen the crate end, it resisting splitting andpreventing pulling apart of the parts or pieces ofthe crate en'd whenmade in two or more pieces, or, in the event that the crate end becomessplit from any cause. The ends of the transverse partition members 5 aresuitably sccuredin the sides 1 of the crate. F or example, the ends ofthese partition members may be perforated to receive nails 16 which maybe driven into the pieces 1a and 1b which may be used in making up thecrate sides, the pieces lel being of a width corresponding with thedesired vertical spacing of the two partitions, when such are used.

1n assembling a crate provided with partition securing means ashereinbefore described, the perforated ends of the longitudinalpartition members 4 are inserted through the slots 11 in the attachingplates 6, which latter have been previously secured to the inner sidesof the crate ends, and the pins 14 are inserted through the openings 13and through the perforations 12 in the inserted ends of the partitionmembers. The crate ends 2 are then drawn apart in the manner usual inthe assembling of crates of this class, and while the crate ends arethusI held apart, the crate sides are put in place and secured. apartand tension in consequence is applied to the longitudinal partitionmembers 4, the pins 14 will be drawn toward or into the apex of therespective attaching plate 6, the inwardly converging Walls 9 of theattaching plate acting to properly center the pin 14, and hence thelongitudinal partition members 4 will be accurately spaced apart as anincident in the assembling of the crate. The insertion of the cratesides 1, while the crate ends are drawn apart so as to impose tension onthe partition members 4, serves to maintain the tension on f thepartition members 4 so that the partitions are securely supported withinthe crate and sagging of the partitions is avoided.

Any suitable bottom structure may be used to support the bottles in thecrate.V In the present instance, a number of individual wires 17 areused, these wires being spaced apart at suitable intervals and extendinglongitudinally between the crate ends 2. Each wire has eyes or loops 18formed at its ends which are engaged and secured by nails 19 whichdirectly engage within them. The

crate ends are preferably provided with separate bottom strips or shoes2O having recesses 21 formed in their upper faces to receive andaccommodate the eyes or loops on thev ends of the respective bottomwires. The nails 19 may be driven upwardly through the bottom stripsinto the crate ends, so that they will serve to secure the bottom stripsin place as well as to engage and secure the eyes or loops 18 on theends of the bottom wires and thus sustain the tension on the bottomwires 17. The bottom strips or shoes 2O are preferably 'drawn apartlduring As the crate ends are drawn f the assembling of the crate inorder to impose longitudinal tension on the bottom wires. The wires 17comprising the bottom of the crate may be reinforced by a suitablenumber of transverse stays 22, a pair of stays being shown in thepresent instance which are like those shown and described in my priorPatent No. 1,324,580, granted December 9, 1919, the end of eachreinforcement or stay being accommodated in a recess 23 in therespective side of the crate and secured in place by a nail 24; whichmay be driven upwardly from the lower edge of the crate side through a.perforation 25 formed in the end of the transverse reinforcement.

I claim as my invention 1. A bottle crate comprising ends, partitionmembers extending between vsaid ends, attaching members secured to theinner faces of the ends and into which the terminals of the partitionmembers extend, and securing members insertable into the attachingmembers,'said securing members being connected under tension to saidpartition members and sustaining longitudinal tension thereon.

2. A bottle crate comprising ends, partitions arranged in superposedrelation therein and embodying superposed membersv eX- tending betweensaid ends, and attaching members secured to the inner sides of saidends, .each attaching member being arranged to extend vertically on therespective crate t end and adapted to receive the ends of members of thesuperposed partitions, and a common securing member at the inner side ofthe respective end of the crate and bearing against the respectiveattaching member for fastening said superposed members of the partitionto the respective attaching member. e

3. A bottle crate comprising ends, partition members extending betweensaid ends, and attaching members secured to the inner sides of the crateends for connecting the ends of said partition members thereto, saidattaching members having convergent'walls and securing means for thepartition members which bears against and is centered by said convergentwalls under tension applied to the partition members to space thelatter.

4. An attaching member for securing a partition member in a bottle cratecomprising a plate having means for securing it to a wall of the crateand adapted to receive an end of the partition member, and a locking pinextending through the `end of the partition member and bearing againstsaid plate for securing the partition member to the attaching member. i.l

5. Means for securing the apertured end of a partition member to thewall of a crate comprising a plate having means forrsecuring .it to thewall of the crate and provided with a portion which is offset inwardlyfrom said wall, said offset portion beingslotted to receive theapertured end of the partition member, and a pin insertable at the outerside of the offset portion of the plate and through the aperture inl thepartition member.

6. An attaching member of the character described comprising a recessedportion into which an apertured partition member is insertable, and apin insertable into the recessed portion of the attaching member andinto the aperture of the partition member.

7 A device for securing a partition member to a wall of a cratecomprising a plate adapt-ed to be secured to said wall and having arecessed portion which is slotted to receive the end of the partitionmember and provided with convergent walls, and a pin insertable into therecessed portion of the plate to engage the end of the partition membertherein, the pin being positioned by said convergent walls.

8. An attaching plate for securing the apertured end of a partitionmemberto a wall of a crate, said plate having a marginal portion adaptedto be secured to said wall and a portion which is bulged away from saidwall and slotted to receive the end of f the partition member, theopposite sides of the bulged portion of the plate being` convergent, anda pin insertable into the bulged portion of the plate between theconvergent sides thereof and into the aperture in the end of thepartition member. v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM W. BIRNSTOCK.

